TRUE HEALTH REFORM -
The only thing that stands between a person and their own perfect health (pH) is information. Empowered with the right intelligent information, anyone can improve their health, reduce their dependence on prescription drugs, enhance their quality of life, expand their mental awareness and creativity and live longer and happier.

Friday, September 21, 2012

"Cayenne
is traditionally used by herbalists to cure stomach aches, cramping,
gas, varicose veins, allergies, and constipation. AND HEART ATTACKS!

One of the most
amazing healing properties of cayenne is that it has been used
successfully time and time again to relieve heart attacks:From the healing text of Dr. Christopher:"In 35 years of practice, and working with the people and teaching, I have never on house calls
lost one heart attack patient and the reason is, whenever I go in--if
they are still breathing--I pour down them a cup of cayenne tea (a
teaspoon of cayenne in a cup of hot water, and within minutes they are
up and around).

This is one of the fastest acting aids we could ever
give for the heart, because it feeds that heart immediately.

Most hearts
are suffering from malnutrition because of processed food we are
eating, but here it gets a good powerful dose of real food and it's
something that has brought people in time after time.

This is something
that everyone should know how great it is, because a heart attack can
come to your friends or loved ones any time. And even yourself.

The warm
tea is faster working than tablets, capsules, cold tea, because the
warm tea opens up the cell structure--makes it expand and accept the
cayenne that much faster, and it goes directly to the heart, through the
artery system, and feeds it in powerful food."

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Comfrey: Grow Your Own Fertilizer

Comfrey has many wonderful uses for healing and in the garden. In this post you’ll find five different ways to use comfrey as a fertilizer. I’ve also included some easy growing and harvesting instructions to make sure you don’t end up in a prickly situation.

Comfrey is a hardy herb (or weed, depending on your perspective) and it isn’t easy to get rid of once it’s planted, so knowing where and how to plant and harvest comfrey is important. Once you hear about all its wonderful uses in the garden and its NPK ratio, though, you’ll probably seek out the perfect spot to forage for it or plant it around your yard.

How to use comfrey in your garden:

Compost activator: Comfrey is an excellent addition to any compost. It will not only enrich your compost but will also encourage the pile to heat up, speeding up the composting process. This is particularly important if you have lots of carbon-rich material in your compost (dry brown material like twigs, straw, dry grass, etc.) Simply place alternating layers of fresh comfrey leaves and other nitrogen-rich material (fruit and veggie peels, etc.) with carbon-rich material (twigs, dry grass and hay etc.) to make a rocking compost pile. Don’t overdo the comfrey though, or it will break down quickly into a dark gooey liquid and can heat your compost pile too quickly or add too much moisture to the mix.

The Wonders of Comfrey

I am perpetually amazed at the wealth of resources present in our own backyard. It seems that anyone with a proper compost pile, a source of mulch or green manure, and common beneficial “weeds” scattered about has all the resources needed to help their garden thrive.

One of my new favorite herbs for the garden, or “weeds”, depending on your perspective, is comfrey (Symphytum officinale), which has a wealth of uses for both our own health and the health of the garden.

Comfrey’s deep roots work to bring nutrients up from the subsoil. These nutrients are then made available in the abundant number of leaves it produces every year (4-5 lbs of leaves per established plant per year). The leaves are rich in nitrogen and potassium with a decent amount of phosphorus as well, making them a wonderful homegrown fertilizer. Researchers in British Columbia analyzed the NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) ratio of comfrey and discovered that the leaves have a remarkable NPK ratio of 1.80-0.50-5.30.

When we compare these nutrient ratios (1.80-0.50-5.30) to that of animal manure, we can see how far superior comfrey* is.

From: Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, An Illustrated Guide to Organic Gardening, by Sunset Publishing, and the Rodale Guide to Composting.

Note: Naturally, nutrient values of animal- or plant-based manure can vary greatly from specimen to specimen.

As you can see from this list, the nitrogen content of comfrey is higher than almost all animal manures found on the market today and its potassium concentration is far superior to all, making it an ideal fertilizer for plants that produce flowers, seeds and fruit for which potassium is an essential component. This, along with the more important ethical and environmental incentives for not using animal inputs in our gardens, makes growing comfrey as a fertilizer a win-win.

If you don’t think the NPK ratio of the dried leaves is impressive enough, you can also make a concentrated liquid fertilizer out of comfrey (see my next post on uses for comfrey in the garden) with an NPK ratio of about 8-2.60-20.50! (You’ll want to dilute this before use.) The leaves are also full of silica, calcium, iron, magnesium and other essential nutrients to help your fruiting plants thrive.

From the pattern of these names, you’ve probably guessed that comfrey can do more than benefit your garden. It also has powerful healing properties, supporting the body’s ability to repair damaged tissue and bones.

Comfrey roots and leaves contain a substance called allantoin, which, along with other beneficial compounds in the plant, supports healthy cell growth and reduces inflammation. Comfrey has been used externally as a poultice or ointment to heal bruises, broken bones, closed wounds, pulled muscles and ligaments, fractures, as well as reducing inflammation from sprains and more.

There is some controversy over comfrey though, because it also contains poisonous substances called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that have been shown to be toxic to the liver when ingested. For this reason, oral comfrey products have been banned in many countries, including the U.S. It is reported that some of the pyrrolizidine alkaloids can be absorbed through the skin as well, but there are varying opinions as to the actual risk of poisoning through topical use. It is best to find a knowledgeable herbalist or naturopath who can teach you the correct way to use this wonderful herb. Most recommend using comfrey externally, for no more than 10 days at a time and no more than 4-6 weeks out of the year. While many feel that caution with this herb is important, it is also a powerful healing tool if used correctly.

So now that you know all about this wonderful herb, weed, and garden companion, get out there and get growing!*

*Make sure you know more about how comfrey grows before planting it: it is a sturdy plant and will thrive in most soil. Because of these factors, it can be difficult to get rid of if you decide to remove the plant. For more information on this, check out my next post.

DIY Cell Renewal Herbal Cream: Ask Annie

Dear Annie,
I spent a lot of time in a sailboat this summer and my skin seems to have aged a lot from both sun and wind exposure. What DIY formula do you suggest that is really natural and pure to help my skin cells? The last thing I want to do is buy a commercial product that includes toxic chemicals! –Barbara, ME

Dear Barbara,
My mother used to sail a lot in the summer and I worried about her skin in the fall as it would be so leathery. I didn’t worry about the leathery look, but the health of her skin cells. Fortunately, I have just the formula for you from my book Better Basics for the Home. It includes comfrey, an exceptionally healing herb for injured or aged skin.

To make an oil infusion, crumble 2 ounces of dried comfrey leaves and root into the bottom of a crock pot and cover with an oil such as olive. Place over low heat for 6 hours. Let cool. Strain out the plant matter.

Melt the beeswax with the oils in a double boiler over medium heat. Remove from the heat, pour in the comfrey water, and mix with a hand or electric mixer until thick and creamy. Stir in the preservative.

Note: This cream needs to be refrigerated and will last for two to three weeks. Only use comfrey externally.

Carrots are more than a tasty addition to almost any dish. They are also good for your body’s overall health, especially that of the skin, eyes, digestive system and teeth!

So if the sweet flavor isn’t enough, enjoy these 10 reasons to eat more carrots:

1. Beta carotene: Carrots are a rich source of this powerful antioxidant, which, among other vital uses, can be converted into vitamin A in the body to help maintain healthy skin.2. Digestion: Carrots increase saliva and supply essential minerals, vitamins and enzymes that aid in digestion. Eating carrots regularly may help prevent gastric ulcers and other digestive disorders.3. Alkaline elements: Carrots are rich in alkaline elements, which purify and revitalize the blood while balancing the acid/alkaline ratio of the body.4. Potassium: Carrots are a good source of potassium, which can help maintain healthy sodium levels in the body, thereby helping to reduce elevated blood pressure levels.5. Dental Health: Carrots kill harmful germs in the mouth and help prevent tooth decay.6. Wounds: Raw or grated carrots can be used to help heal wounds, cuts and inflammation.7. Phytonutrients: Among the many beneficial phytochemicals that carrots contain is a phytonutrient called falcarinol, which may reduce the risk of colon cancer and help promote overall colon health.8. Carotenoids: Carrots are rich in carotenoids, which our bodies can use to help regulate blood sugar.9. Fiber: Carrots are high in soluble fiber, which may reduce cholesterol by binding the LDL form (the kind we don’t want) and increasing the HDL form (the kind our body needs) to help reduce blood clots and prevent heart disease.10. Eyes, hair, nails and more! The nutrients in carrots can improve the health of your eyes, skin, hair, nails and more through helping to detoxify your system and build new cells!

There are plenty more reasons to enjoy these crunchy, sweet root vegetables, so reserve a spot in your garden plot for planting some, or pop down to the local market to pick up a bunch!

Pour 4 C. boiling water over mixture and gently mix, and let steep
overnight, or for 2-3 hours on the lowest stove top burner setting. You
do NOT want to cook/simmer/boil this mixture in order to retain more of
the medicinal properties.

Part 2:
1 C. Raisins – simmer
with enough water to cover raisins until raisins are soft and the water
is absorbed, puree this mixture (add a bit more water if required) and
set aside.

Part 3:
Strain the mixture from part 1. I used cheese cloth so I could squeeze out every last drop of goodness.
Add the pureed raisin mixture from part 2.
Freeze mixture in ice cube trays (I used Baby Food freezer trays).
There will still be solids that can settle to the bottom, so mix while
pouring your portions out so that it includes all ingredients.

Part 4:
Add equal parts of the finished mixture and honey together, this will
make a syrup consistency. Store in the fridge, it should last a week.
This was quite a bit of work, and I wouldn’t want to go through this
every time I needed a batch – that is why I chose to freeze the mixture
in portions. Every time I need some medicine, I can just pop a frozen
cube out, thaw, mix with honey, and store in the fridge for the week!

Results:
I did not hear my daughter (18 mo old) cough even once last night, she
loved the taste, she went to bed without a fuss, and slept through the
night! I would call it a success!!!

*Note, this medicine is NOT intended for children under 1 year of age.

TRUE HEALTH REFORM -
The only thing that stands between a person and their own perfect health (pH) is information. Empowered with the right intelligent information, anyone can improve their health, reduce their dependence on prescription drugs, enhance their quality of life, expand their mental awareness and creativity and live longer and happier.